21 de dezembro de 2010

Unfortunately due to the fact that I won´t, despite being a good boy all year long, get the only present, and note that I just asked for ONE present, I had to go for the second choices whom are kinda related to the Norwegian cuteness. Yes, I´m improving my album/dvd collection. Amazon says thanks.

The only thing certain in the basket is The Corrs - Unplugged dvd because would be shameless this long time Corrs fan not to have this. Then I perhaps also order Fiona Apple - When The Pawn, Bon Iver´s debut album and Tired Pony first and perhaps last album. I have to check prices because financial crisis is a *bleep* (and can lead me to change the "Ocupation" category on my social networks next year) and I can´t spend much...although Fiona´s album can be bought for...0,01£. Got to love the Internet.

So for all of you: Merry Christmas! Have a blast and enjoy it with your family if possible. As for me I will sure do it. And eat like there´s no tomorrow.

26 de novembro de 2010

I decided to help our friends from Ireland, who like us are going through an economic crisis with an impressive 32%(!!) deficit...still they have a minimum wage that pays 8,65€ per hour to an adult worker...what the hell dudes?!, so I´m gonna order this for me in a few weeks to Christmas...as a matter of fact it´s kinda shameful not having this DVD yet...

13 de novembro de 2010

As a music lover, and I think I can speak for all of us on the following subject, one of the things we like to do is know more from the person, or group of persons, that can move you with a melody and some lyrics in a three and a half minutes timespace. Whether if it´s by tv, radio or reading a magazine you will build an image based in what was said in the interviews and/or actions you take from them. Often that image can be far off, often can be very different from another person who got the exact same "data" and also came up with a certain image.

With this I wanna transcript a DVD finale from a singer that you might have noticed that I quite like her.

"When you write songs you really only feel that you´re worth anything when you just finished a song. All the other days of the year I don´t feel like a songwritter. I´m convinced that I just wrote my last song and it´s never gonna happen again. It´s hard, you only have a very...this sounds so bland, but it´s so very true, you only have a limited amount of notes. You´re trying to make something really unique and you only have these very limited tools that you can use. So sometimes I´m convinced that I´m never gonna be able to do it again, and it keeps me on the ground...keeps me humble. Because I only worth as much as my last song. That´s the way it goes." Marit Larsen

8 de novembro de 2010

On a random tweet saying that I had to be a political science expert for tomorrow´s test someone replied me with a random tweet too...with a link to this:

Maybe I was living under a rock but this guy is around for ages and I only knew a cover of Wonderwall from him.

I will definitely search more, and I already took a listen to one of his albums in a store, but I´m already stuck to this one:

So damn good!

And guess who sings "When The Stars Go Blue"? Yup...Ryan Adams.

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This week is "texts week" so lots to study (I don´t even remember what´s that already) but in the end of the week (and oh...am I looking forward to that!) I´ll post a weird text that I wrote and finally come back to the reading of Paul Auster´s The New York Trilogy!

18 de outubro de 2010

I´m almost sure that I already talked about this girl here. But looking at the clock (it´s 3:20am...I have to catch a train in...4 hours; Yes I´m a bad boy. Not really...I just don´t know how to wake up soon in a Sunday) I´m not really in the mood of checking it and even if I already talked about her...I´d mention her again because...well...I´ll show you:

I could listen to her all day long. I´m just as sceptic as one of the highest rated comments you can find in one of the videos. "Do girls like you actually exist?" I guess they do.

29 de setembro de 2010

I like to be creative in my post titles - or at least I try - but this time I chose a song title and yes, it´s from my latest music discover.

Summer is over. Well, not if you live down under in the southern hemisphere. If that´s the case I must warn you that you live upside down.

Was a good Summer - hottest in 49 years...they say - I got a mighty regular job, with the respective mighty good salary. I finally got in college, despite not being as excited as I was in the years where I failed my application, perhaps because this year I knew since January I wouldn´t have problems getting in. The only stressful thing was if I could get in where I wanted...and kudos to me! Last but not least, as a music lover, I couldn´t be happier because I found some amazing talents, being Paloma Faith the last one in the very last day of Summer, and I can finally buy albums on the internet.

Summer is over and looks like good times went away too...at least for this week (meaning last week from this date). I´m writing this in one of several train rides I got in today. I´m gonna tell you something: this country is über-burocratic (über is my new favorite word). My uni thought that having already all the necessary data for transportation purposes in a paper instead filling a blank page was a good idea; the guys from the bus/train companies thought otherwise and had the normal reaction seing that the papers weren´t like the ones last year: they panic and they demand the old ones!

Before all this mess and money spent in trains Sunday I got the news that Katie Melua postponed her whole tour. She was starting here in Portugal in a couple of weeks, tickets were almost sold out weeks before the concert - I have mine for months and now I read that it will have to wait more six months until gets useful. I was really looking forward to it, even more now to distress from all this new life with college and this happened.

This way I want something beautiful so I´ll just close my eyes and make believe...just like I usually do.

This is what the mail man has been delivering for the past 4 weeks. Diane Birch was already mentioned so I´ll start with the other girl with pretty hair.

I thought that I´ve also bought her first album (Under The Surface - 2006), but this newbie notice that he ordered the single re-launch (2009)...At least it was cheap and has a cool picture on the cover.

Then I also found this...

Never heard of it (guess Germany, who loves Marit, has the exclusive) but I HAD/MUST to order. And, yes, I´ve watched it a few times by now...she´s so damn talented (try read the lyrics without music...she´s always saying that she fools people with sad lyrics in "bubbly" melodies...and it´s true), also bloody cute and funny - watch Don´t Save Me videoclip making of.

Last, a huge guilty pleasure covered with the excuse this was also a present for my younger sister.

Saw some interviews of her, as I usually do with artists I like, and she´s awesome (read with an aussie accent) and very creative.

The wish list is gigantic. I´ll keep it strict to Tired Pony´s album.

P.S.: Take a listen to this artists: Paloma Faith (Live from Abbey Road), Hurts and Coeur de Pirate...I promise you French never sound so good.

6 de setembro de 2010

I will probably sound like a n00b, but who cares? I just found one of many corners of that World of the Wide Web. The story goes like this:

If you look a couple a posts under you will notice that I got myself a brand new music love. The way I found her was quite lucky... The story inside the story goes like this:

On youtube I found guy that uploads the entire episodes of an American talk-show hosted by Craig Ferguson - The Late Late Show. For example, tonight I´ll watch yesterday´s episode. At weekends, like there´s no show, he usually uploads "old" episodes in HD. So, exactly in one of those episodes there was a music act...quite rare on the show because as the name might indicate it´s broadcasted quite late at night. After a funny intro, camera turns on the artist and...oh she has that haircut with whom I got some kind of fetish. Then she starts to sing...wow...just wow. Her name is Diane Birch.

Next step...google her. Found that she´s a new artist with just one album released. Album that after one listen I decided that I must have.

Problem: I certainly won´t find it on portuguese stores.

Solution: Internet.

Problem (part 2): No credit card.

I thought going to the store and ask if they could order that for me (most certainly not...) and I would pay after. Then I found a solution, one that I´ve already heard before. With your debit card you can do a temporary card to buy stuff on the Internet.

Problem (part 3): Went to a couple of ATMs to activate the system and there wasn´t that option. I thought...that´s it. No album for the kid.

For some weird reason I decided go to Amazon.com . Just to see what would be needed to buy stuff there. And jackpot! I could use my debit card just giving the data that the thing has on it. As simple as that...didn´t saw that coming.

Sign in, look up for the goodies (aka music albums) and noticed that buy there will be considerably cheapest than buy...on the store near my house, even if it comes from the other side of the Atlantic. Well...this one I saw coming. Now I´m still exploring my new toy. Bible Belt from D. Birch is already here and as a birthday gift to myself more three goodies are coming (info on the goodies on the next post).

Oh, and don´t trust in Amazon deliver dates. In a good way. I think those marketing people told them to tell people the products will arrive weeks or a month later, and when you notice you got a goodie on your mail just a few days after the order (at least with music albums).

P.S.: Speaking in mail...a letter can beat a car! - This P.S. is related to that great show called Top Gear...Yes, I like cars...I´m a man...despite the doubtful music choices that you´ll see on the next post...and enjoying Ferguson gay impersonations on his shows...that man is funny!)

9 de agosto de 2010

Yes, I know, I know...the lack of posts went on for more a couple of weeks...yeah...come blame the boy who got a proper job and is under ridiculously hot temperatures for...I don´t know...ages?!

Actually today I saw clouds in the sky for the first time in that ages period of time that I mentioned. Anyway we still had more than 35ºC...go figure.

And it will continue at least(!) until August 16th. So the only thing we can expect to see in the sky for the next week is more smoke from the bloody fires *sad face*

Oh the next week. Remember the proper job thingy? So this next week (yes the one with more ridiculously hot temperatures) I have a deadline to accomplish. That means a lot of clothes to pack and probably also a lot of extra hours to work...at least Friday (included) holidays have their beginning.

And what´s better than that thing that I love that (I use "that" too much, I´m sorry) is find a new musical artist? (Also tomorrow it´s payday so...other reason to start the hard work week in a good mood)

About the new artist: I was watching the Late Late Show with Craig Fergunson (some channel in Portugal should broadcast him...instead of soap operas) and there she was.

...I don´t even know what videos to choose. I´m in love. And it´s not only the haircut...which is the one that has some kind of power over my shy person.

Her name is Diane Birch.

She also performed this one at Jools Holland (I assure it´s worth watching) but I think the official video is something that deserves to be appreciated.

9 de maio de 2010

As a NBA fan and after years watching my beloved team - Phoenix Suns - being defeated in all kind of ways be the San Antonio Spurs I have to post this and say congratulations to Goran Dragic...the guy was on fire a day after his birthday...23 points in the 4th quarter is something like Michael Jordan would do...

3 de maio de 2010

The second single from Lisa Mitchell's debut album 'Wonder', following the massive success in Australia of Coin Laundry, is Clean White Love.

From Lisa;

Well, Clean White Love is a about the divine clean white light that comes through the shutters with the first hint of the new sun very early in the mornings. It feels a little bit heavenly, and a little bit like being in love. I love getting up early and having hours and hours to dilly-dally about in. I was so startled when we began to play this tune at shows as the audience sang every word with me! We are shooting a video for it over here in the UK on the Isle of White in a weeks time with goddess/video director Vanessa Casswill of 'Coin Laundry' and 'Neopolitan Dreams' direction.

9 de fevereiro de 2010

(...)I just need Geography exam...hopefully with something like 16/20...but more would be perfect!

C´mon André, deliver!

P.S. After writing this I did some...yeah, maths and if I have 16/20 in Geography exam I have the EXACTLY same note of the last person going to the course that I want to go at the university that I want to go...what were the odds?! Well...you do the maths!!

So...I went to school today...yeah...Geography exam result...any bets ladies and gentlemen?

28 de janeiro de 2010

A post about a relationship...interesting. A post about my relationship with maths...not so much.

Why did you let me down maths? We´ve been so happy! I´ve gave you all the attention that you needed! I never changed! Altough you´ve changed...maybe all of us need a change every now and then...

I met you in the supermarket corridors impressed in journals. My grandma (the best one in the world) introduced us...just like introduced me the abc and how to write my name. She wanted to assure herself that I would go to school knowing how to write my name and how to deal with you maths, despite the fact of never being in a kindergaten (the cause of the shy/cheesy personality I´m afraid...).

We were perfect in primary school! Doing great through 5/6/7/8th grade...then 45/100 in a 9th grade test! What the hell maths?! Maybe you´re just angry and you turned the back on me for a moment. We´ve been happy right?

Now I had to choose: maths or no maths? I chose you maths. Promising more attention...you seem different...you don´t, only, need homework and staring at similar exercises that a test would have...you need more attention, more practicing.

12/20 in 10th grade...cool! Even with >14/20 in the other subjects; 8/20 in 11th grade...what´s happening? Well...8 was enough to be in 12th grade...I think you just need (even) more attention. 12th grade first test: 3/20...Damn, when I went down I went to the bottom! In something that I´ll later find that´s the easiest maths stuff in this 3 years. I was confused. Let´s end with maths tests, continue with the great grades in the others subjects and do the final maths exam in the end of the year. 1st chance: 8 point something/20; 2nd chance: 7 point something/20

F*$#! I failed! I promised my grandma (the best in the world...I already said that right?): "I´ll not miss a school year" and I failed!

Everyone deserves a second chance...new class, known colleagues tho...I must say it was a not so bad year...great persons in my class with whom I went to a fantastic trip to Belgium (to the wonderful girls who organised it, thanks!).

12/20...I needed the final exam tho...and I failed. I went to the bottom and not happy I dig deeper.

Math classes at night...exam in January. Went to book it a few days ago...rrrrrrhhhh...the usual vibration noise on the phone..."you´re done with maths...you just need to pass a Geography exam"; For a second I regret going twice a week to maths classes for over 2 months, but the company in classes was good so in the next second I jumped, I sang some songs aaand I think I ran towards nowhere inside my house. So I´m done. I just need Geography exam...hopefully with something like 16/20...but more would be perfect!

C´mon André, deliver!

P.S. After writing this I did some...yeah, maths and if I have 16/20 in Geography exam I have the EXACTLY same note of the last person going to the course that I want to go at the university that I want to go...what were the odds?! Well...you do the maths!!

2 de janeiro de 2010

Ouch...a bit offensive the first title of the year han? I´ll try to explain it during this post where I´ll wander around some things. First say that I´m a perfectionist person so if you read some huge english mistake in this post let me know.

The title and the idea of this post came from here http://peaceofanaleigh.blogspot.com/ The authouress is an inspiration. Well, I said in the last time I wrote here you would need some background of the person to enjoy the blog to the fullest so I´m gonna make your job easier...because she deserves.

Analeigh was the second-runner up in Cycle 11 of America's Next Top Model, (and yes I do watch this and boys can watch this --oh...the title...; -yeah! Ah and I think a girl looks more chic with Winter clothes than in Summer clothes; -You´re gay! ahah; -I am not. --okay enough with the title already); and she´s unique. Not only for her beauty, because being beautiful is a big help to be on the contest, but mostly for her personality. What would you expect from 13 girls in a house competing for a "dream-contest"? The usual right....fights and an competitive atmosphere. Well...not for her. Sure she wanted to win but that doesn´t mean that she can´t have true friends in the house...ones that you would keep after the show (it´s the case), ones that you´ll avoid them to do stupid things such as over-drinking. Yes, you think...Oh I would do that to...well...I wanna believe you but I would wait and see...I think the competition, prizes and today´s egoism would win over you. And let´s be honest what´s your opinion about models? Stupid; Dumbs; Lack of culture; Party girls; etc, etc...

She´s maybe one of the most genuinely persons in the world...and that´s what one of the things that inspires me...she´s the one you would want as a friend; yeah I´m a boy I should say "as a girlfriend" right? But let´s stop daydreaming!...a girl like Analeigh just as a friend would be perfect, because as a girl that I knew in a contest and found her blog is already good; knowing that persons like her still exist nowadays (and this "nowadays" means today´s society in developed countries; such a great subject for another post) makes me wanna go out I find a person like her because if she´s 1 in 100 or 1 in 1000 or 1 in 1 MILLION the other ones must be out there! I´m running out of words (which is good in this case...and it´s sooo late)

To finish; I did some maths (and I really have to end with maths this year!) and if I´m not mistaken (probably it´s a higher number) I spent around 300€ in music last year (that includes albuns, concerts, trips, food, merchandising)...WORTH IT! Looking forward to what 2010 bring to us...well Muse for 58€ in Rock in Rio...a bit expensive...

So as a music lover as you can read and see in my blog I´ll leave you with a song. I know I should start the year with a happy song but...that´s not the case...and here it comes another link for the wonderful blog cause was there that I found this.

Where I found/lyrics: http://peaceofanaleigh.blogspot.com/2009/03/music-through-window.html

Too many links I guess...she looks beautiful in the pics (Yes, I said that to you copy the link and see the lyrics on her blog)

Sad song...with a nice upbeat. A versatile one; even more with a video like that...I wonder how many photos they took...

But... Is there a point to being a slipper but you are alone, with no other slipper to the pair?

Is there a point of being violoncello if don´t get out of your case?

Is there a point to being a girl alone, with no one to love...no one to share life with?

Yeah...It´s my point of view of the song...but I love the name of the song and this verses: